Trapper soccer falls 3-2 in women’s exhibition

Posted 8/16/11

Samhia Simao scored Northwest’s first goal after making a quick turn in the box and lacing a shot past the keeper.

“She made a good turn and got a shot,” said Olivas. “Her level of play is there. It’s just a matter of seeing how …

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Trapper soccer falls 3-2 in women’s exhibition

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Late flurry by Rocky the difference

 

Northwest College women’s soccer coach Kaylin Olivas got the first opportunity to watch her new team perform under game conditions on Saturday and, for the most part, was impressed with what she saw. The Trappers fell 3-2 in exhibition play to Rocky Mountain College in Billings.

“It was the first time they’ve played together as a team and they came out and played extremely well,” said Olivas of her second-year program. “Overall, I was extremely, extremely pleased with how they played.”

Samhia Simao scored Northwest’s first goal after making a quick turn in the box and lacing a shot past the keeper.

“She made a good turn and got a shot,” said Olivas. “Her level of play is there. It’s just a matter of seeing how everything comes together as a team.”

The Trappers fought Rocky to a 1-1 deadlock deep into second half play before the Billings college tallied a pair of goals in a three-minute span to grab a 3-1 lead. Northwest scored its last goal in the 89th minute when defender Hali Henwood of Douglas converted a free kick into a goal for the Trappers to give the game its final margin.

“The biggest thing is we need to work on our endurance level,” said Olivas. “We got tired and it really hurt us those last minutes. We can’t let down in the final minutes against a team like Rocky, because they’ll hurt you.”

Additionally, Olivas noted the Trappers’ pace and intensity have room for improvement as the season progresses.

“We had a lot of freshmen and when we first came out, I’m not sure they knew what to expect,” said Olivas. “They kind of knew in their minds, but to actually experience it firsthand in a game was new to a lot of them. You could see as the game progressed that they were getting more and more aggressive, but we still need to work on and improve that area.”

That hardly makes the Trappers different from many freshman-heavy programs though, Olivas noted.

“The pace of play is much higher at the collegiate level than it is at high school,” said Olivas, who knows all-too-well after playing for the University of Wyoming. “The majority (of freshmen) aren’t used to that pace of play. The intensity of the game also takes some getting used to. In college, you have to go at full intensity for 90 minutes. That’s not always the case in high school.”

In addition to being the Trappers’ first action of the 2011 season, the contest also provided Olivas with an opportunity to see her team in action for the first time. The Trappers’ coach was introduced just weeks ago and has a roster of players recruited to the program by men’s coach Rob Hill.

“Coach Hill has put a good group together,” Olivas said. “The credit has to go to him. He did a great job bringing these kids in and putting this group together. We saw a lot in the first scrimmage and it’s only going to get better as things go along.”

Northwest College scrimmages at Montana State University-Billings on Thursday. The team wraps up its exhibition schedule on Friday with a home scrimmage against the University of Great Falls.

The Trapper women begin regular-season play on Aug. 27-28 with an appearance at the Barton County Community College tournament in Great Bend, Kan.

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